Chigwell & Hainault Synagogue

Chigwell, Epping Forest, Essex

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Town of Chigwell

Chigwell (population 12,000) is a suburban town in the county of Essex in southeast England, situated just to the north of the administrative boundary of Greater London.

Since 1974, it has formed part of the local government district of Epping Forest in the county of Essex. From 1933 until 1974, Chigwell was an urban district in the county of Essex (and included parts of Hainault, which in 1974 was transferred to the London Borough of Redbridge).

Chigwell Jewish Community

In addition to the Chigwell & Hainault Synagogue (details below), there is also a Federation synagogue in near-by Loughton, which at one time was known as the Loughton, Chigwell & District Synagogue.

Congregation Data
Name:	Chigwell & Hainault Synagogue⁽ⁱⁱ⁾
Former Names:	Chigwell and District Affiliated Synagogue, until 1968⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾ Chigwell and Hainault Affiliated Synagogue,^(iv) from the merger with the Hainault & District Affiliated Synagogue on 12 May 1968^(v) until about 1976.
Address:	Limes Avenue, Chigwell, Essex IG7 5NT, from at least 1976.^(vi) In July 2024. the building was re-opened and rededicated after a major refurbishment, partly funded by Lord Sugar and his family. The site was renamed the Sugar Community Campus, and the synagogue itself bacame the Lord and Lady Sugar Community Hall.^(vii)
Date Founded:	The congregation was established in about 1963.
Current Status:	Active
Ritual:	Orthodox - Ashkenazi
Affiliation:	A full (constituent) member of the United Synagogue since about 1976,^(ix) having previously been an affiliated synagogue from joining in 1965.^(x)
Website:	https://chigshul.org.uk
Ministers: (To view a short profile of a minister whose name appears in blue - hold the cursor over his name.)	Rev. Alan Burns - officiant at services from 1963, then minister from 1968 until 1975^(xiii) Rev. Michael A. Atkins - minister from 1975 (termination date uncertain)^(xiv) Rabbi Benjamin Kass - minister from about 1979 until about 1982^(xv) Rev. Gerald Schneider, BA - minister from about 1982 until about 1986^(xvi) Rabbi Vivian C. Silverman - minister from 1987 until about 1988^(xvii) Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Sufrin - minister from about 1989 until about 1996^(xx) Rabbi Baruch Davis & Rebbetzen Nechama Davis - rabbinic couple from 1997 until 2022^(xxi) Rabbi Rafi Goodwin & Rebbetzen Chaya Goodwin - senior rabbinic couple from 2022 until present (September 2025), having previously served as community rabbi and rebbetzen from 2016.^(xxii)
Assistant Ministers and Readers, etc.:	Henry Stewart - lay reader, dates uncertain (but prior to 1973)^(xxv) Laurie Sharman - lay reader until 1983^(xxvi) Rev. Steven Sands - chazan from about 1983 until 2019^(xxvii) Rabbi Dovid Y. Lewis - youth director from about 2002 until 2004^(xxviii) Rabbi Meir Shindler - assiistant rabbi from about 2013 until about 2016^(xxix) Rabbi Akiva Rosen & Rebbetzen Olivia Rosen - assistant rabbinic couple from 2024 until present (September 2025).^(xxx)
Secretaries and Hon. Secretaries:	All data on the officers listed below has been extracted from listings in Jewish Year Books 1968 through 1991.^(xxxiii)
	1967-1969 - A Ward 1969-1970 - Rev. Alan Burns 1970-1971 - J. Ziles 1971-1973 - L.J. Chaplin 1973-1977 - H.H. Posner	1977-1980 - S.J. Lee 1980-1983 - S. Gordon 1983-1987 - Mrs. R. Frimet 1987-1990 - M.L. Stuart 1990-1991 - S.A. Kosky
Miscellany:	In September 2025, the congregation took the unprecedented step of announcing its withdrawal from the Board of Deputies of British Jews, informing the Board that "the Synagogue Council has concluded that the Board of Deputies does not represent its views and does not provide value for money."^(xxxiv)
Membership Data:	United Synagogue^(xxxv) 1965 - 48 male members 1970 - 220 male seatholders National Reports & Surveys^(xxxvi) 1977 - 270 male (or household) members and 38 female members 1983 - 317 male (or household) members and 61 female members 1990 - 484 members (comprising 470 households, 10 individual male and 4 individual female member) 1996 - 506 members (comprising 494 households, 3 individual male and 9 individual female member) 2010 - listed as having 500 to 749 members (by household) 2016 - listed as having 750 to 999 members (by household)
Charitable Status:	As a constituent of the United Synagogue, the congregation now operates within that organisation's registered charity status (registered charity no. 242552).
Registration District:	Essex Since 1 February 2010^(xxxvii) - Link to Register Office website.
Worship Registration:	Essex The synagogue in Limes Avenue is registered as a Place of Worship - Worship Register Number 77784 - under the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855.^(xxxviii)
Cemetery Information:	For cemeteries used by the congregation, see Cemeteries of the United Synagogue, of which Waltham Abbey Cemetery is only about 6 miles to the north.
Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above) (i) Reserved (ii) The congregation is listed under this current name on its website, first used in Jewish Year Book 1977 ↵ (iii) The name listed in Jewish Year Books from its first appearance in 1968 until the merger with Hainault and District Affiliated Synagogue. Prior to joining the United Synagogue, the congregation was presumably known as Chigwell and District Synagogue or Chigwell and District Hebrew Congregation. ↵ (iv) The name listed in Jewish Year Books from 1970 through 1976. ↵ (v) The actual date of merger is provided in Encyclopaedia of British Jewish Cantors, Chazanim, Ministers etc., by Michael Jolles, 2024 edition, ("Jolles's Encyclopaedia"), p.538. ↵ (vi) The address listed in Jewish Year Books from 1977. ↵ (vii) Jewish Chronicle report of 5 July 2024. ↵ (viii) Reserved. (vi) The congregation was first listed as a full (constituent) member in the Jewish Year Book 1977. ↵ (x) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), page 222. ↵ (xi) and (xii) Reserved. (xiii) Rabbi Burn's Jewish Chronicle obituary of 22 December 2010. He was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1968 through 1975. ↵ (xiv) Although Rev. Arkins was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1976 through 1978, it is understood that he only served the congregation for a short period. ↵ (xv) Based upon Rabbi B. Kass's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1980 through 1982. ↵ (xvi) Based upon Rev. G. Schneider's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1983 through 1986. ↵ (xvii) Rabbi V. Silverman was listed as minister of the congregation solely in the Jewish Year Book 1988. ↵ (xviii) and (xix) Reserved. (xx) Rabbi E.E. Sufrin was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1989 through 1996. ↵ (xxi) The Jewish Weekly of 23 November 2017 reported Rabbi & Rebbetzen Davis's 20th Anniversary with the congregation and the congregation's website confirms their leaving in 2022. Rabbi B. Davis was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1999 through the last edition (2015). ↵ (xxii) Jewish News report of 16 March 1922 and the congregation's website, last accessed September 2025. ↵ (xxiii) and (xxiv) Reserved. (xxv) Jolles's Encyclopaedia, p.911. ↵ (xxvi) Jolles's Encyclopaedia, p.876. ↵ (xxvii) Jolles's Encyclopaedia, p.859. ↵ (xxviii) Based upon Rabbi D. Lewis's listing as Youth Director of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 2003 and 2004. ↵ (xxix) Various Jewish Chronicle reports. ↵ (xxx) The congregation's website, last accessed September 2025. ↵ (xxxi) and (xxxii) Reserved. (xxxiii) From 1957 Jewish Year Books ceased listing officers of a congregation, other than the secretary or hon. secretary. Where a person was listed as secretary or hon. secretary of this congregation, it has been assumed that his term of office commenced in the year of publication of the relevant year book (which was generally towards the end of the year prior to the year appearing in the title of the year book) and that he continued in office until the commencement of office of his successor (e.g. if he is listed in Jewish Year Books 1981 through 1983, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1980 and continued in office until 1983). However, it should be noted that the foregoing is only an assumption and accordingly actual years of office may differ slightly from those shown here. ↵ (xxxiv) Jewiish News report of 12 September 2025. ↵ (xxxv) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), page 220. ↵ (xxxvi) Reports on synagogue membership in the United Kingdom, published by or on behalf of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and which can be viewed on the website of the Institute of Jewish Policy Research. Click HERE for links to the various reports. ↵ (xxxvii) The former Registration Districts were Epping, from 1 July 1837 until 1 April 1974, and Epping Forest, from 1 April 1974 until 1 February 2010. All registers would now be held by the current register office. ↵ (xxxviii) Page 541 of the 2010 List of Places of Worship ↵

Epping Forest Jewish Communities home page

List of United Synagogue Congregations

Jewish Congregations in Essex

Jewish Congregations in Greater London and its Outskirts

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Page created: 21 May 2006
Data significantly expanded and notes added: 18 September 2025
Page most recently amended: 6 October 2025

Research and formatting by David Shulman

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